The idea for doing a survey of local police officers on the subject of
firearms ownership and safety grew out of a discussion between Jim Carlisle of the
Allentown Health Bureau and myself in the early summer of 1997. We both agreed that such
an undertaking could prove to be both interesting and insightful. My personal motivation
was curiosity.

Methodology

I began researching the subject area by searching the Internet sites of
groups on both sides of the issue including Handgun Control Inc, National Rifle
Association, The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, Gun Owners of America, Coalition to
Stop Gun Violence, The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Pacific
Centre for Violence Prevention, Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership, Washington
Ceasefire, and The Lawyers Second Amendment Foundation.

Searching through these organizations' material uncovered several major
themes that I decided should be explored in the survey instrument including questions of
opinion and of fact. My Internet search also turned up three previously conducted police
surveys on the same general subject which provided a starting point for developing the
questionnaire.

Question 8a shows 86% of responses were True while 14% were False. Look
in the row labeled "Percentages near 10 or 90". The allowance is 2.0%, which
means that the responses to question 8a are subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 2
percentage points. Therefore, it is highly probable (95 times out of 100) that the average
of repeated sampling would be somewhere between 84% to 88% True and 12% to 16% False, with
the most likely figures being the 86% True and 14% False that are reported here. The
questions for which there were four possible responses (Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree,
Somewhat Disagree, Strongly Disagree) in the questionnaire can make use of this table by
combining the two possible Agree responses and the two possible Disagree responses. For
example, combining the responses in Question 1 results in 37.4% Agree and 62.6% Disagree.
The table shows the allowance to be 3.3%. Therefore, the Agree range is from 34.1% to
40.7% and the Disagree range is from 59.3% to 65.9%.

Initial Results of Firearm Ownership and
Safety Survey

* There were 378
responses out of a universe of 680 giving a response rate of 56%.
Maximum sampling error does not exceed 3.36%.

* All results are
expressed as percentages except questions 44 and 46 which show the mean, median, and
standard deviation of the data.

---==::==---

Stongly
Agree

Somewhat
Agree

Somewhat
Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

1

Gun laws reduce crime

6.1

31.3

21.8

40.8

2

More gun laws will reduce crime

6.4

19.9

24.7

49.1

3

Outlawing civilian gun ownership will result
in less crime

3.2

8.2

22.1

66.5

4

Outlawing civilian gun ownership will result
in more crime.

24.1

24.9

27.8

23.3

5

Outlawing civilian gun ownership will result
in a more civilized society

2.9

10.4

29.5

57.2

6

The federal 5-day waiting period (Brady Law)
is effective in preventing criminals from obtaining firearms

5.9

28.5

19.2

46.4

7

Laws limiting gun ownership to law abiding
citizens do not keep guns out of the hands of criminals

every prospective firearms owner
has to prove he or she is law abiding

44.4

55.6

c.

firearms dealers have to record
sales of firearms on behalf of the federal government

92.2

7.8

d.

unelected civil servants have the
power to decide what kinds of firearms may be lawfully owned

32.7

67.3

9

The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA
68):

a.

outlaws civilian possession of
machineguns

53.7

46.3

b.

is modeled after the Nazi Weapons
Law of 1938

35.8

64.2

c.

introduced the concept of
"sporting purpose" as a way of classifying firearms

76.8

23.2

10

Gun control laws of the last 29
years (since GCA 68) all share the following fundamental characteristic: they outlaw or
restrict an activity that is not inherently wrong in order to prevent harm before it
occurs

Did you swear an oath upon your
honor to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Pennsylvania
when you were hired as a police officer?

98.6

1.4

36

If a law were passed making it
illegal for civilians to possess semi-automatic, military looking firearms, would you
participate in dynamic entry, house to house searches to seize these firearms if so
ordered by a superior?

58.1

41.9

37

If a law were passed making it
illegal for civilians to possess any type of firearm, would you participate in dynamic
entry, house to house searches to seize them if so ordered by a superior?

The director of the BATF recommends to the Secretary of the Treasury
those types of ammunition that should or should not be legally sold or owned. GCA 68
§925(d)(3);(e)(2)

b.every prospective firearm owner has to prove he or she is law
abiding -- True

A person wishing to purchase a firearm must fill out Federal Form 4473
thus affirming their ability to lawfully purchase the firearm. The dealer from whom the
firearm is to be purchased must accept this affidavit as proof that the individual is law
abiding. GCA 68 §922(a)(6);§924(a)(1)

c.firearms dealers have to record sales of firearms on behalf of the
federal government -- True

Federal Form 4473 must be filled out for each firearm sold. It records
the purchaser's name, address, telephone, date of birth, and driver's license number (most
common form of ID to confirm purchaser's identity). These forms must be kept for
government inspection upon demand. In the event that the dealer goes out of business, all
of his Form 4473's must be sent to the BATF. GCA 68 §178.124(a)

d.unelected civil servants have the power to decide what kinds of
firearms may be lawfully owned -- True

The director of the BATF recommends to the Secretary of the Treasury
those types of firearms that should or should not be legally sold or owned. GCA 68
§925(d)(3);(e)(2)

9. The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA 68):

a.outlaws civilian possession of machineguns -- False

Any civilian who passes an FBI background check and pays the required
$200 tax to the U.S. Treasury Department may own a fully automatic machinegun. Prior to
the 1934 National Firearms Act, no background check or tax payment was required for a
civilian to own a machinegun.

b.is modeled after the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938 -- True

According to Torrence Stephens Ph.D. Emory University, Senator Tom Dodd
of Connecticut was a senior member of the Nuremburg war trials staff in 1945-46. During
this time he came into possession of a copy of the original German text of the Nazi Weapon
Law of 1938 which he later had translated into English by the Library of Congress. In a
memo dated 12 Jul 68 Lewis Coffin of the Library of Congress wrote to Senator Dodd,
"In compliance with your request and with reference to several telephone
conversations between Miss Frank of your office and Mr. Fred Karpf, European Law Division,
we are enclosing herewith a translation of the Law on Weapons of March 18, 1938, prepared
by Dr. William Solyom-Fekete of that Division, as well as the Xerox copy of the original
German text which you supplied." As the main sponsor of what was to become the GCA
68, Dodd incorporated the general concepts and many of the sections from the Nazi law
nearly word for word into his legislation.

c.introduced the concept of "sporting purpose" as a way of
classifying firearms -- True

GCA 68 introduced but did not define the classification known as
"sporting purpose" which is a direct translation of "Sport-zwecke" in
the Nazi Weapons Law. It is up to the Secretary of the Treasury through the BATF to
arbitrarily decide which firearms fulfill the unspecified requirements for "sporting
purpose". Under current law, only firearms that have been declared to have a
legitimate sporting purpose may be sold to civilians.

38.The rifles commonly referred to as assault weapons and which
were banned as part of the 1994 Crime Bill:

a. are fully automatic machine guns -- False

b. are single shot, self loading firearms -- True

According to BATF, the nineteen firearms banned from sales to civilians
were all semi-automatic and not easily convertible to full automatic. These firearms fired
one shot only with each pull of the trigger (single shot) and as a result of the bullet
being fired, the mechanical action of the firearm caused another cartridge to be loaded
into the chamber (self loading). In contrast, a machine gun will continue to fire for as
long as the trigger is depressed.

c. are most commonly used by criminals in the commission of crimes --
False

According to the FBI and numerous reports by metropolitan police
departments around the country, the firearms most commonly used in the commission of
crimes are handguns.

d. use cartridges best suited for hunting small game such as gophers
-- T/F

Of the nineteen firearms banned under the 1994 Crime Bill, only two
fired cartridges larger than the 7.62x39mm used in the AK-47. The remaining seventeen
firearms used cartridges smaller than the 7.62x39mm, the most common being the .223
Remington. Attempting to address popular misconceptions regarding the purported deadliness
of assault rifles, Col. Martin L. Fackler, MD, the director of the U.S. Army Wound
Ballistics Research Laboratory wrote: "Many AK-47 shots will pass through the body
causing no greater damage than that produced by non-expanding handgun bullets." The
.223 Remington cartridge is commonly referred to as a varmint cartridge i.e. used to hunt
small animals such as ground hogs, prairie dogs, and gophers which are regarded as pests
by many farmers and ranchers.

e. are standard issue infantry weapons in the military forces of many
nations -- False

Most of the banned firearms were rifles that looked like military
weapons on the outside but were common semi- automatics on the inside. Unlike the banned
firearms, military rifles are capable of fully automatic firing, i.e. they are machine
guns. No modern nation equips its military forces with single shot, self-loading rifles.
Rather, they are equipped with true assault rifles that are capable of fully automatic
fire with the flick of a selector switch. For example, the M-16 is the standard issue
rifle of the American military. It is capable of firing semi-automatically, fully
automatically, and some versions of it fire three round bursts. The AR-15 which was banned
for civilian sale under the Crime Bill looks like an M-16 but is only capable of
semi-automatic firing.

There were three other questions (32, 33, 34) that dealt with the
meaning of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Since the Supreme Court has not ruled
on a Second Amendment case, many believe there is no correct or incorrect answer to these
questions. Not being an expert on Constitutional issues, I contacted The Constitution
Society via the Internet who describe themselves as "a private non-profit
organization dedicated to research and public education on the principles of
constitutional republican government."

Their answers to these three questions follow without going into the
philosophical discussions that accompanied them:

32.The United States Constitution and the Pennsylvania
Constitution:

a.protect a citizen's right to hunt -- False

b.protect the state of Pennsylvania's right to create an organized
military force -- True

c.protect a citizen's right to own firearms for the purpose of
maintaining a peaceful and free society -- True

d.protect the right of the federal & state governments to
regulate the possession of firearms among its citizens -- True

33.Current federal and state law infringes on the right of the
people to keep and bear arms. -- True

34.The United States Bill of Rights:

a.contains a list of privileges granted by the government to the
people -- False

b.protects the rights of the people from encroachment by the
government -- True

In addition, my Internet search uncovered many dozens of articles from
law review journals which dealt with the subject of the Second Amendment. Dr. Edgar Suter
MD reports that "[o]f the 11 peer reviewed articles claiming the Second Amendment is
a collective states' right, 5 are by employees of Handgun Control, Inc. or the Center to
Prevent Handgun Violence and 3 are students. Of the 51 peer-reviewed articles noting that
the Second Amendment guarantees the individual right of the people to keep and bear arms,
4 are by attorneys employed by the National Rifle Association. Excluding students and
employees of lobbying organizations then, 47 support the individual right view and 3
support the collective right view."

Verbatims

Seventeen questionnaires had comments written on them by the
respondents. In the interest of full disclosure these comments are included below. In some
instances, due to poor grammar or spelling, the comments have been edited to make them
more easily read.

Respondent 39 - In response to question 28 this officer indicated that
proper training is necessary to insure that armed civilians do not pose more of a risk to
themselves than to criminals.

Respondent 69 - This officer indicated that civilians who want to
legally own machineguns must obtain the appropriate Class license.

Respondent 142 - This officer typed the following at the end of the
questionnaire: "Your survey questions appear to have bee[n] written with a NRA
background worded in a manner that any one for gun control is un American. Questions not
answered were left blank because there was no absolute answer. GET A JOB......"

Respondent 145 - In response to questions 36 and 37 this officer
indicated he would only participate in house to house searches if there was an appropriate
warrant issued.

Respondent 158 - This officer did not answer questions 9a, 9c, 32b, 36,
37 instead he placed "?" marks beside them indicating his lack of knowledge. In
response to question 25 this officer wrote "depends who" in the margin.

Respondent 160 - This officer also put "?" marks next to
questions 36 and 37.

Respondent 189 - This officer wrote many comments throughout the
questionnaire. Next to 8b he wrote "background check", next to 17 he wrote
"except duty weapon - secured but not available", next to 26 he wrote
"under most circumstances", next to 28 he wrote "vague question unable to
properly answer -2 questions", next to 29d he wrote "read 2nd Amendment",
next to 30d he wrote "if those guns turned in were not properly secured", next
to 32c & 32d he wrote "ambiguous questions -interpretation?", next to 33 he
wrote "could lead to this", and next to 42 he wrote "if the gunowner is
properly trained in safety -use of force".

Respondent 239 - At the bottom of the third page below question 34 this
officer wrote "JUST KEEP THE LAWYERS AWAY FROM IT & INTERPRET IT THE WAY IT WAS
WRITTEN!".

Respondent 243 - In response to questions 36 and 37 this officer wrote
"If ordered I'd have no choice in the matter?".

Respondent 268 - Under question 34a this officer wrote "They are
given by God, not the Gov't!".

Respondent 287 - Next to question 17 he wrote "Just put it out of
view", he modified the words gun ownership in question 27 with the word
"legal", under question 28 he wrote "If they are not ready to properly use
said firearm & it [is] taken away from them by the 'Bad Guy'", and in response to
questions 34c and 34d he indicates that the Bill of Rights is not an outdated document.

Respondent 293 - This officer wrote many comments throughout the
questionnaire. Next to 6 he wrote "the[y're] criminals", under 28 he wrote
"A responsible civilian gun owner is educated in the firearm he owns +/or
carries", under 29d he wrote "one reason 200+ years ago, the colonists believed
so!", he replaced the word "privileges" in 34a with the word
"rights", in response to 36 and 37 he wrote "tricky question" and
"only with a valid 4th Amendment search warrant", and at the end of the
questionnaire he wrote " Steve: Very interesting survey - good luck. You should ask
for a follow up written answer on some of these questions. You might find out that many
cops are very pro-Constitution + very rights opinionated; opposite of the way the media
portrays them".

Respondent 304 - This officer crossed out a typo in question 24 and
wrote the following at the end of the questionnaire: "China has the right idea. Only
the police and the military have guns and there is very little gun related
crime/accidents!"

Respondent 348 - This officer put his name and telephone number on the
questionnaire and challenged me to "debate some issues". He wrote several
paragraphs addressing his perception that the questionnaire was worded in such a way as to
elicit a specific set of responses. In his words "they are negative form
questions." He also wrote "Criminals do not own legally received weapons. They
steal them & then use them for a purpose." He also asked "Is this survey
another tactic to support the N.R.A.?" At the end of the questionnaire he had some
advice "You should ask questions [such as] why do we have the increases in crime
today - attitudes, drugs, culture, etc.?"

Respondent 349 - This officer was in the same police department as
respondent 348. At the end of the questionnaire he wrote "Your survey results are
going to be seriously skewed because of the wording of a majority of your questions. I
think you would be a hell of a lot more responsible if you had asked questions about hand
guns as opposed to 'long' guns and/or 'assault weapons'."

Respondent 367 - This officer wrote "NO WAY" next to questions
36 and 37.

Respondent 371 - This officer had no knowledge of GCA 68 in questions
9a, 9b, 9c. At the bottom of page one he wrote in response to questions 9 and 10 "Ask
me what I think about these laws if in fact they are laws and I'll tell you what I think
about them."

Anecdotal Comments

Surprisingly to me, a great many of the chiefs to whom I spoke and those
few officers I came in contact with when I picked up the completed surveys expressed great
support for my project. There were many comments to the effect that it was about time
someone asked them what they thought about the issues. The general feeling was that the
media took the easy way out by asking these kinds of questions only of the big police
organizations such as the national union leadership of the Fraternal Order of Police or
the National Association of Chiefs of Police.